The Spire
5F271B1L3 FalconRock II is large socket A heatsink that slims down to a mounting
profile of just 60x60mm. The curved shape of the cooler allows a 80mm fan
to be attached to the fins so noise levels are kept under control without
sacrificing thermals. For some strange reason the 80mm fan Spire have packaged
with the FalconRock II is made with a cast-aluminum frame. This isn't
altogether shocking since many fans are made with aluminum frames for industrial applications, but it is
unique for processor cooling.

No explanation is given by Spire for this rather
interesting fan-choice, but I think it is safe to say that aluminum-framed fan
has essentially no effect on the overall thermal capabilities of the 5F271B1L3
heatsink.

What will have an effect on how thermally efficient the
FalconRock II proves to be is the small copper disc inserted into the base. If
done properly, the copper will ultimately increase the surface area of the
heat source enticing quicker transmission to the outer fins more effectively.

Every
once in a while we catch glimpse of a new technology being used for the sake of
cooling. The Spire 5F271B1L3 is a pretty standard extrusion except for the
design and implementation of the base area.

Rather
than use a flat surface, the base angles up towards the center - providing more
thickness and girth for the spreading of heat energy to the outer fins. The
sides of the base have been cut away to yield that curved edge which also
makes this rather large heatsink easily mountable on cramped Socket A motherboards where
space around the processor is scarce.